Become a Trustee … Board Secretary

Could you help grow this small Wiltshire-based charity into a national organisation? We are looking for a trustee with governance, compliance and administration experience to help us build a solid foundation for expansion over the years to come.

We work to reduce loneliness and isolation amongst older residents in care homes, by matching them with volunteers who (normally) visit on a one-to-one basis. During the pandemic, our wonderful volunteers have been providing virtual visits online, writing letters and cards, and making phone calls.

We are growing fast and have aims to achieve some national presence by 2025. For that reason, we are keen to recruit a trustee who can help us ensure that our governance, policies and procedures are robust enough to support our growth. Ideally, you will live in or near Wiltshire, though this may not be essential.

What’s involved?

This trustee will have the main duties of all trustees, together with additional responsibilities for leading on governance and compliance, and for the effective administration of board meetings.

We currently have ten trustees, who share the following duties outlined by the Charity Commission:

• Ensuring the charity is carrying out its purposes for the public benefit
• Complying with the charity’s governing document and the law
• Acting in the charity’s best interests
• Managing the charity’s resources responsibly
• Acting with reasonable care and skill
• Ensuring the charity is accountable

A fuller job description for all trustees covers the responsibilities in more detail. Board meetings are held six times per year, normally in Swindon on a weekday morning. But we could be flexible with remote attendance for the right person.

The sections below describe the particular duties of this specialist trustee.

Governance and compliance

Responsible for the efficient administration of the charity, particularly compliance with statutory and regulatory requirements. This includes:

• Being familiar with the charity’s governing document, the legal responsibilities of charities under the Charities Act 2009 and the charity’s internal governance rules
• Ensuring that the charity files all relevant statutory returns and information with the Charities Regulator (e.g. annual reports, changes to the charity’s details and/or trustees’ details)
• Ensuring compliance with the relevant codes such as the charity’s Code of Conduct for Charity Trustees and the Charities Governance Code
• Maintaining updated records of the charity’s policies and procedures and following a rolling programme for review by the board
• Tracking progress with the charity’s risk register/ business plan/ strategic plan and making sure any correspondence for the charity trustees is brought to the attention of the board
• Maintaining the register of trustees and of trustees’ interests

Board meetings

Responsible for assisting the Chair (and Chief Executive when we have one in the future) to ensure board meetings are as effective as possible. This includes:

• Planning and agreeing agendas, checking matters arising, bring forward items and action points

• Making sure the timetable of board meetings for the year ahead is agreed
• Circulating board papers in advance of meetings
• Ensuring the venue/room is prepared for the meeting or suitable online arrangements are in place
• Taking the minutes at board meetings, providing an accurate, impartial and balanced internal record
• Issuing draft minutes and dealing with requests for corrections before they are formally approved
• Ensuring that minutes are stored safely and accessible

What next?

If you think you could help, or would like to apply, please contact our Chair, Norman Edwards, at: [email protected]